A new combination in Asteropsis (Compositae: Astereae), and a synopsis of the genus JOSE M. BONIFACINO1, GISELA SANCHO2, AND EDUARDO H. MARCHESI3 'Laboratorio de Botinica, Facultad de Agronomia, Casilla de Correos 1238, Montevideo, Uruguay; e-mail: bonifacinoj @fagro.edu.uy 2 Divisi6n Plantas Vasculares, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s. n., La Plata, 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina; e-mail: [email protected] 3 Laboratorio de Botinica, Facultad de Agronomia, Casilla de Correos 1238, Montevideo, Uruguay; e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. A new combination, Asteropsis megapotamica, is made after studying specimens at Paris (P). A taxonomic revision of Asteropsis, with detailed descriptions, drawings, and images of A. megapotamica is presented. A lectotype for Neja macrocephala is designated. A discussion about generic relationships of Asteropsis and closely related genera is provided. Key Words: Asteropsis megapotamica, new combination, Brazil, Podocominae, Uruguay. The rare and geographically restricted toire Naturelle (P) described by Sprengel monotypic genus Asteropsis Less. (Composi- (1826), it has become evident to us that tae: Astereae) is endemic to southern Brazil Aster megapotamica Spreng. refers to the and northern Uruguay, and was originally same taxonomic entity described by Lessing described, along with its sole species Aster- under Asteropsis. Therefore, both names opsis macrocephala Less., by Lessing (1832). should be considered heterotypic synonyms, Independently, and based on different with Sprengel's name having priority over material from Rio Grande do Sul, Hooker Lessing's. and Amrnott (1836) published Podopappus Here, we present a new combination for tomentosus Hook. & Amrn. to refer to the Asteropsis and provide its taxonomic revision same taxon coined by Lessing as Asteropsis with detailed descriptions, drawings, and macrocephala. Later on, Bentham (1873) images of its only species, A. megapotamica. placed Asteropsis in the synonymy of Podo- coma Cass.; however, he did not make the Material and methods combination. It was up to Herter (1930) to publish the combination Podocoma macro- Data is derived from the study of herbar- cephala (Less.) Herter, as suggested by ium specimens from BM, K, LP, MVFA, P, Bentham. SI, and US, and from field observations. For Nevertheless, in his treatment of Brazil- light microscopic examination, floral and ian Astereae, Baker (1882) recognized vegetative parts were re-hydrated and stained Asteropsis as a distinct genus, just as more in 2% safranin. Involucre shape and measure- recent authors do (Nesom, 1994a; Sancho et ments were made on live specimens. Draw- al., 2006; Nesom & Robinson, 2007; Sancho ings were made by the authors using a Wild & Karaman-Castro, in press; Brouillet et al., M3Z stereo microscope and a Leitz SM Lux in press). After having had access to type microscope with camera lucida. Terminology material of South American Astereae from follows Harris and Harris (1994), Ramayya the Herbarium of Mus6um National d'His- (1962), and Steam (1995). Brittonia, 61(1), 2009, pp. 1-7 ISSUED: 2 March 2009 A 2008, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A. This content downloaded from 163.10.64.193 on Thu, 21 Apr 2016 14:33:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 2 BRITTONIA [VOL 61 Generic relationships generic relationships of Asteropsis sug- gested by Nesom and Robinson (2007). In After its original description, Asteropsis was recent studies, Asteropsis forms an assem- sunken into synonymy with Podocoma by blage with Inulopsis, Microgyne, and Som- Bentham (1873). This was followed by merfeltia, and among those genera, the several authors including Zhang and Bremer closest relationship of Asteropsis is with (1993) who incorporated Podocoma into their Inulopsis (Sancho & Karaman-Castro, in Hinterhubera group (i.e., Blakiella Cuatrec., press; Brouillet et al., in press). Close Flosmutisia Cuatrec., Hinterhubera Sch. Bip., phylogenetic relationships between Podo- Microgyne Less., and Westoniella Cuatrec.). coma and Asteropsis were not demonstrated These authors based their inclusion of in these phylogenetic studies. Morphologi- Podocoma on the presence of beaked cypse- cally, Asteropsis differs from Podocoma by lae, a character that, of the five genera in the its densely leafy stems, solitary, strongly group, was only shared with Blakiella. radiate capitula, and cypselae that are atten- Bremer (1994) followed Zhang and Bremer uate towards the apex (vs. sparsely leafy (1993) in regards to the relationships of stems, corymbiform capitulescences of few Podocoma. However, recent morphological heads, sub-radiate capitula, and truly rostrate and molecular evidence (Karaman, 2006; cypselae in Podocoma). Nesom & Robinson, 2007; Sancho & Among the South American genera of Karaman-Castro, in press) have shown that Podocominae, Asteropsis, Inulopsis, Micro- the beaked cypselae of Blakiella and gyne, and Sommerfeltia share radiate capitula, Podocoma originated independently. usually sterile, non-rostrate, disk cypselae, Nesom (1994a) regarded Asteropsis as a and a pappus of (1)2 or 3 series of bristles. distinct genus. He also provided the first Morphologically, Inulopsis shares with Aster- detailed synonymy for this genus, accounting opsis glandular cypselae with an attenuate for most of the names ascribed to A. macro- apex (abruptly attenuate in Inulopsis and cephala, and commented on its putative gradually attenuate in Asteropsis). Asteropsis phylogenetic relationships, naming Podo- and two species of Inulopsis (I. scaposa coma, Microgyne, Sommerfeltia Less., Inu- (DC.) O. Hoffm., I. stenophylla Dus~n) also lopsis (DC.) O. Hoffim., Rhabdanthus G. L. share a pappus with an outermost series of Nesom, Laennecia Cass., and Blakiella as its very short bristles. Inulopsis differs from closest relatives. When the subtribe Podoco- Asteropsis by its single-seriate ray florets minae was described by Nesom (1994b), he with relatively wide corolla limbs (vs. 3- or included Asteropsis, other South American 4-seriate ray florets with narrow corolla limbs genera such as Blakiella, Inulopsis, Laennecia, in Asteropsis). Podocoma, and Sommerfeltia, and a group of We follow Sancho and Karaman-Castro (in Australasian genera. The genus Blakiella was press) and Brouillet et al. (in press) in later transferred to the subtribe Hinterhuberinae considering three genera of the current Podo- (Nesom & Robinson, 2007). cominae (Inulopsis, Microgyne, and Sommer- Morphological and molecular phyloge- feltia) as most closely related to Asteropsis, netic studies partially agree with the and present a key to differentiate these genera. Key to Asteropsis and related genera 1. Plants unbranched or only branched at the base; leaves linear, narrowly elliptic or obovate to widely obovate with margins mostly entire (lowermost leaves with lobed margins in Asteropsis); cypselae attenuate at apex. 2. Ray florets in 1 (2) series, ray corollas with relatively wide limbs, (1-)1.5-2.5 mm wide; cypselae abruptly attenuate at the apex ..............Inulopsis 2. Ray florets in 3 or 4 series, ray corollas with relatively narrow limbs, up to 1 mm wide; cypselae gradually attenuated towards the apex Asteropsis 1. Plants shrubby, fully branched; leaves elliptic (in outline) with pinnatifid margins; cypsela apex truncate or with confluent margins. 3. Leaves soft; capitula solitary; cypselae of disk florets eglandular and fertile Microgyne This content downloaded from 163.10.64.193 on Thu, 21 Apr 2016 14:33:53 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 2009] BONIFACINO ET AL.: ASTEROPSIS (COMPOSITAE) 3 3. Leaves rigid; capitula often in racemiform capitulescences; cypselae of disk florets glandular and sterile................................................ ............Sommerfeltia Taxonomic treatment Podopappus tomentosus Hook. & Arn., Comp. Bot. Mag. 2: 51, 1836. Type: Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: Asteropsis Less., Syn. Gen. Compos. 188, M. Isabelle s.n. (holotype: K?, n.v.). 1832. Neja sect. Phylloneja DC., Prodr. 5: 325, 1836. Neja macrocephala DC., Prodr. 5: 325, 1836. Type: Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: 1833, Herbier Imperial du Brdsil 1047, Gaudichaud s.n. (lectotype, here Perennial herbs, hemicryptophytes, ligno- designated: P). tubers elongate, stems erect, basally branched or simple. Leaves densely disposed, alternate, Perennial herbs, hemicryptophytes, ligno- spirally arranged, narrowly elliptic to narrow- tubers elongate, cylindrical, 0.5-1 cm in ly obovate, sessile, apex subacute, base diameter, stems 30-45 cm tall, erect, basally attenuate, glandular and woolly-villous on branched or with only one branch, the both surfaces, margins entire. Capitula soli- branches long. Leaves densely disposed, tary (less commonly 2 or 3), terminal, sessile, alternate, spirally arranged, 15-35 x 1- heterogamous, radiate. Involucres hemispher- 3 mm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, ic to globose; phyllaries in 5 or 6 series, sessile, apex sub-acute, base attenuate, glan- glandular and villous on both surfaces. dular (vesicular biseriate trichomes, notably Receptacles epaleate. Ray florets 3- or 4- sunken on epidermis) and woolly-villous seriate, pistillate, corollas white, true rays (flagellate-septate trichomes) on both surfa- with long limbs, style branches linear. Disk ces, margins entire, the basal leaves with one florets numerous, bisexual (functionally or two pair of lobes. Capitula solitary (rarely male), corolla actinomorphic, 5-lobed; anther grouped in 2- or 3-headed